It's a new year and people are trying new ways to improve their diets and lose weight.

But are some diets better than others? Nikki DeAngelis, clinical dietitian at Silver Cross Hospital, shared her expertise on the four most popular diets.

Before she began, she stressed the one good element all diet plans share.

[Photo courtesy of Timothy Baran]

"They make people mindful of their food choices," DeAngelis said.
Whole30

For 30 days, dieters are allowed no alcohol, dairy, grains, legumes or sugar. They may eat moderate amounts of eggs, meat, seafood and some types of fruit. Vegetables are encouraged.

They may also eat nuts, avocado and herbs.
Mayo Clinic said the diet's founders say this diet may help with the digestive and skin issues, as well as chronic pain and low energy associated with food sensitivities.

DeAngelis said she's "not a fan" of this diet, even though it does eliminate sugar, "something we all consume a lot in this country."

"But it is pretty restrictive," DeAngelis said. "It cuts out entire food groups. It's missing calcium, and it cuts out legumes and whole grains, which provide a lot of fiber, vitamins and minerals."

[Photo courtesy of Timothy Baran]

Ketogenic diet

This is a high-fat, moderate-protein, extremely low carbohydrate diet. This puts the body in ketosis (an abnormal increase of ketone bodies in the body, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, since it must burn fat for energy instead of carbohydrates.

At the same time, this diet eliminates fiber (the recommended amount is 28 grams, DeAngelis said) and it also eliminates whole grains and fruit.

Although it's now popular for weight loss, the ketogenic diet is also used under medical supervision to control seizures in some people with epilepsy, DeAngelis said. Diabetics, especially insulin-dependent diabetics, should not follow this diet, she added.

to reduce stress and toxins and lower risk for certain diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's.

The positives, DeAngelis said, are foods rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids and the fact it is, overall, very balanced, except for its avoidance of dairy, a good source of calcium.

"It encourages you to eat a lot of fish, which can be expensive for some people to eat often," DeAngelis said. "And it emphasizes organic produce, which hasn't been shown to to be any more nutritious than conventional produce."

[Photo courtesy of Timothy Baran]

Intermittent fasting

DeAngelis said two types of intermittent fasting are most popular. One is eating over an eight-hour period and then fasting for 16 hours. The other is reducing calories to 50 a day.

In both cases, DeAngelis said, the goal is to encourage the body to burn fat for energy. But intermittent fasting does not promote weight loss any better than classic calorie restriction, she added.

Plus, like the other three fad diets intermittent fasting can make the dieter feel hungry and fatigued, as well as impair concentration, which makes working or going to school challenging, DeAngelis said.

Intermittent fasting can also cause the bodies to hang onto weight, exactly what dieter does not intend.

[Photo courtesy of Timothy Baran]

"Your body is like a furnace. You have to keep the fires stoked," DeAngelis said. "I do encourage people to eat three balanced meals and one to two snacks throughout the day to keep their metabolisms running.

She did mention one upside about intermittent fasting.

"What I do like about this diet," DeAngelis said, "is that it gets you thinking about mindless eating during the day. A lot of times we just walk past the cookies on the counter at work and eat them without really thinking about if you're hungry."

[Photo courtesy of Timothy Baran]

Making better choices

If people are looking for a safe and effective diet plan, DeAngelis recommends the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet.

[Photo courtesy of Timothy Baran]

According to Mayo Clinic, the DASH diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy foods along with moderate amounts of whole grains, fish, poultry and nuts. The Mediterranean diet is similar in its focus on vegetables, fruits and fish and poultry, but also includes legumes, olive oil and moderate amounts of red wine.

[Photo courtesy of Timothy Baran]

What about the food pyramid the U.S. government recommended a decade ago? DeAngelis said that's been replaced with the easier-to-understand plate visual. Picture a dinner plate into four quadrants. One fourth should be vegetables, one fruit, one a lean protein and the fourth a whole grain.

[Photo courtesy of Timothy Baran]

For people with a body mass index (BMI) over 40 who are struggling with weight loss, bariatric surgery might be an option, DeAngelis said. But whatever approach one chooses, the results won't be instantaneous.

"It takes time for changes to appear and to adopt healthier habits," DeAngelis said. "Don't give up and be patient."